← All guides

Sharing · 4 min read

Questions to ask a potential flatmate

Written by CribCheck, reviewed by the CribCheck inspection team. Last reviewed 18 September 2026.

Part of Shared apartments and flatmates in Lagos: how to do it safely

Short answer

Ask about work and income stability, sleeping hours, guests, cooking, cleaning, smoking and drinking, noise, religion and quiet times, how they handle shared bills, how long they intend to stay, and who they lived with last and why they left.

Money and stability

  • What do you do, and is your income monthly or irregular?
  • Have you ever been unable to pay rent on time? What happened?
  • How do you want to handle bills: one person pays and is reimbursed, or split at source?
  • How long do you plan to stay?

Daily life

  • What time do you leave and return?
  • Do you work night shifts or from home?
  • How often do you have guests, and do partners stay over?
  • Do you cook daily, and how do you feel about shared fridge space?
  • Do you smoke or drink at home?
  • How loud is your music, and until when?

Boundaries and history

  • How do you prefer to raise a problem with someone you live with?
  • Who did you live with last, and why did it end?
  • Can I speak to your previous flatmate?
  • Do you keep pets?
  • What would make you move out suddenly?

Meet twice, at least once inside the property, and trust a mismatch in daily routine as much as a mismatch in money.

What to do next

Check this home with CribCheck while you are still there. Record what you see, get a condition score with indicative repair costs, and keep it to compare against other homes.

Before you pay, CribCheck it.

Read next

Neighbourhood guides

You're offline — we'll sync your check when you're back online.